How Can I Help You?
Being of service can be a wonderful thing. But can saying yes to everyone be a toxic trait?Told through tales of years working in the service industry, from call centres to cafes, How Can I Help You is a musical ode to Callum's 33 years as a chronic people pleaser, an exploration of the power of no and a look at how scary it can be to set boundaries, for yourself and for those you love.
Callum Patrick Hughes returns to The Pleasance after his critically acclaimed 2023 Edinburgh Fringe debut Thirst.
★★★★★
"an excellent, engaging storyteller, guitarist and singer"
"The charm of his production and performance is the lack of 'woe is me'... Instead he embraces the knowledge and understanding he is discovering and channels it into positivity"
- Theatre and Arts Reviews
★★★★
"With sharp storytelling adorned by acoustic guitar accompaniment and singing sprinkled throughout, the audience is hooked to his every word.
A cathartic experience for people-pleasers, artists and honestly, any human."
-Edfringe Sider
Audience Reviews
Superb show... heartfelt, poignant and funny to boot! I think we can see a little bit of us all in Callum and his honesty is refreshing and real.
★★★★★
Cannot recommend highly enough - a must see!
Callum has done it again with another really wonderful and heartfelt hour of storytelling about his own therapeutic journey.
★★★★★
Lovely original songs, captivating performance. You'll laugh and possibly shed a tear.
★★★★★
Incredible and beautiful piece of storytelling! This show is heart-wrenchingly relatable. You will laugh and most likely shed a tar. Callum's extraordinary anility to stir up nostalgia and inspire hope is one-of-a-kind. If, like me, you've desperately tried to make everyone around you happy in an attempt to make yourselfhappy - go see this show.
★★★★★
A beautifully written and performed story, with incredible musicianship to weave the story together. An unbelievable emotional ride where Callum is not afraid to be open and vulnerable, all while being totally engaging, witty and humorous.
There is space to breathe, emotionally, in this. While the show may simply be entertaining for some, it can also serve as a gateway for others to see their own loved ones from their own set of challenging perspectives, and that can only be a positive thing.
I hadn't heard of Callum before but after a browse through the Fringe website this show seemed right up my alley - and up my alley it was. CAllum's storytelling is funny, open and moving. The little snippets of music and singing throughout the show make the stories come to life. Within just one hour, I had some good laughs, felt seen and even got a bit teary. Not many shows will do that to you.
★★★★★
Seamless autobiographical stories of the actor's struggle for stability, in his love 'em and leave 'em lo-fi lifestyle, accompanied by gentle arpeggios, intercut with plaintive songs: captivating.